Few words, February snapshots. I have a journal full of pages written in scrawling script and all I can think about is summer. I love writing again. I love shooting photos again. But mostly, I love seeing life unfold again. No stress, no manufactured moments, no worry about networking or social media or staying on top. Just letting today be the day and taking each breath as it comes. Winter helps. There's an effortless grace to these snowy months, an enchantment found in the flushed cheeks and fresh wind in your lungs. A few moments come to mind...
i. Catan, played how many times I could never count, but won by me once. You know a game is good when the tension is thick in the air, and every turn you hold your breath. Winter afternoons are the perfect pair for board games no longer dusty, and this is one of our favorites.
ii. Playing on the pond. Saturday, after lunch of grandpa's chili (the best and forever my favorite) and a game, we tromped through the snow to shovel off the pond. Shoveling turned into smoothing the ice and smoothing the ice turned into sliding, and we spent the afternoon playing outside on the pond. It was one of those moments that as you're living it, realize, "this is what life is about." Frosty lungs and red cheeks from the wind and breathless fun. Just the best.
iii. Letter reading and getting. A perfect parcel in the mail all the way from snowy Canada from my dear Abbey friend, with a letter smelling of the cranberry tea packaged so nicely with it. The intentionality behind letter writing is what I adore and receiving a long letter from beautiful friends is the coziest way to spend an afternoon.
iv. Snowdays. Last year, eighty degrees came calling early. It felt like a triumph to say that Minnesota was warmer than Florida in March. With the way we've been hit with snow, it won't be happening this year. There's little better than bundling the littles up to play in the snow. I'll be hit by any snowball (or more appropriately, handful of snow) from a three year old any day, gladly.
v. Costco trips with my mom and Chloe, complete with a stop at Starbucks afterwards, all chilly and numb fingers. My sister and I are the people who will dance in the aisles, thank you very much. We picked up some treats and I lost count of how many chocolate covered acai berries I ate. I'll make any food into a winter staple if only to justify just "one" more helping (it's a talent).
vi. Small moments. Staying up late laughing with my sister over our new favorite show (we're die-hard Psych fans now), or, on the reverse, going to bed before ten. Making dinner as the sun bathes the kitchen in gold. Washing dishes by hand. Seeing and hearing birds again (what a joy to my heart). Planning spring and summer trips and rejoicing with friends over news in their lives. Taking Sam through Target as he exclaims, "look! Caleb would love this! Let's get this for Eli!" Mornings.
It's good to be back.
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